eli5 why does putting toothpaste on scratched disks fix them?

Question

As the title says why does toothpaste fix disks

In: 2049

Answer 1

Toothpaste is a rubbing compound the same as car wax. It’s essentially super fine sandpaper except it’s in the paste instead of stuck to paper. Polishing your tooth enamel is the same as polishing faded car headlights or cds.

Answer 2

Data is stored under the plastic that is scratched, not on it. Toothpaste smooths the surface so the laser can read the data beneath the surface, and does not reflect light in a way that significantly distorts the signal.